- Date
- August 6, 2014, 10:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Gulf Shores, AL
- Injuries
- 2 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N212RWPiper PA 34-220T
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 24, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20140806015059A
- Case key
- 89811
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a bounced landing and subsequent loss of aircraft control.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, the approach looked "normal;" however, the airplane impacted the runway nose-landing-gear first and bounced on landing. He advanced the power levers on both engines and the airplane immediately turned to the left, impacted the ground with the left wing, pivoted approximately 270 degrees, and came to rest. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose, fuselage, left wing, and all three landing gear. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded weather at the accident airport, around the time of the accident, indicated calm wind.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, the approach looked "normal;" however, the airplane impacted the runway nose-landing-gear first and bounced on landing. He advanced the power levers on both engines and the airplane immediately turned to the left, impacted the ground with the left wing, pivoted approximately 270 degrees, and came to rest. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane sustained substantial damage to the nose, fuselage, left wing, and all three landing gear. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded weather at the accident airport, around the time of the accident, indicated calm wind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N212RW
- Reported as
- Piper PA 34-220T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-8133138
- Built
- 1981
- Airframe hours
- 5,775
- Engines
- Cont Motor LTSIO-360-KB, 220 horsepower, reciprocatingCont Motor TSIO-360 KB, 220 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 5, 2014 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- M02 · Dickson, TN
- Destination
- JKA · Gulf Shores, AL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- JKA · Jack Edwards, runway 27, 6,962 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Auto-pilot
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 72
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 4, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,888 total · 655 in this make and model · 1,760 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 77 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KJKA
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 27, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 7.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.